Theological glossary · FaithLogic

Hell

The final condition of those who reject God — separation from him and his judgment, described in Scripture with images of fire, darkness, destruction, and exclusion.

Old English hel; renders Greek Gehenna (the Valley of Hinnom, a place of judgment imagery — Matt 5:22, 29–30; 10:28; 23:33; Mark 9:43–48; Jas 3:6), and 'the lake of fire' (Rev 20:14–15). Distinct from Hades / Sheol (the realm of the dead generally).

Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 16:23–28; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Jude 7, 13; Revelation 14:9–11; 20:10–15; 21:8.

The historic majority view is eternal conscious punishment (Matt 25:46 sets 'eternal punishment' parallel to 'eternal life'; Rev 14:11; 20:10). Two minority positions held by some who affirm biblical authority: conditional immortality / annihilationism (the lost finally cease to exist — 'destroy both soul and body', Matt 10:28) and a wider hope / evangelical universalism (God ultimately reconciles all — 1 Cor 15:28; Col 1:20).

Eternal conscious torment vs. annihilation vs. universal reconciliation; how literally the fire/darkness imagery is to be taken; the fate of those who never heard the gospel.

Open in the glossary for related terms and the doctrines this concept appears in.